10 US Airport Projects Replacing Regional Gates With Mainline Jet Capacity

Published Nov 7, 2026, 4:00 AM EST Ethan is an aviation professional with a degree in Aviation Management with Flight from the Florida Institute of Technology. He previously wrote aviation and tourism features for Florida Tech’s student newspaper, The Crimson, where he developed a clear, reader‑focused reporting style. Aviation journalism has remained a consistent priority throughout his career. He currently holds a Restricted ATP and Commercial Multi‑Engine Pilot certificate and works in aviation supply chain and aircraft component repair. Alongside his industry role, he is pursuing his Certified Flight Instructor rating and actively building flight experience. A lifelong aviation enthusiast, Ethan spent countless hours at Raleigh–Durham International Airport’s observation deck studying air traffic and practicing amateur photography and videography. The modern aviation industry is facing a trend that can affect nearly any airline at any commercial airport. Larger aircraft are becoming increasingly dominant at airports across the United States, from congested hubs such as Newark Liberty International Airport to smaller regional gateways. At the same time, airlines continue to retire aging 50-seat regional jets, while manufacturers Airbus and Boeing maintain substantial backlogs for their narrowbody aircraft families. Long gone are the days of airport master plans that include regional jet-specific satellite concourses catering to a limited aircraft size class. This list includes airports of a wide range of sizes. These are based on a local decision to scale down regional jet-specific terminal buildings, which helps set airports up to better handle larger equipment. The U.S. Government Accountability Office reports that several reasons are behind the trend: Low-Cost Carriers (LCC), pilot shortages, ATC shortages, airport congestion, and an overall desire for carriers to increase efficiency all contribute to physical airport development now catering to larger jet aircraft, such as the Boeing 737. Pittsburgh International Airport A hub once dominated by USAir is adapting well to a revamped industry Credit: Ethan Qualle Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) was once a major East Coast hub for USAir, and was configured as such. With a traditional hub and spoke operation, the airport's famous "X" shaped terminal opened in 1992 with its first arrival from San Diego International Airport(SAN), as reported by Blue Sky News. The airport once boasted transatlantic flights that fed into an impressive regional East Coast network. The terminal also included a commuter section in its original design. Flights operated by USAir Express were the mainstay of the building, also known as Concourse E. However, USAir, having been rebranded to US Airways abruptly ended its lease agreement at PIT, beginning the hub closure process in 2004. This decision soon after rendered Pittsburgh's Concourse E obsolete. US Airways' decision to end its hub and spoke system in Pittsburgh began a fundamental market shift at the airport. As at many former hubs in the Rust Belt region, like Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG), low-cost carriers (LCCs) entered these markets to capture demand left behind by the de-hubbing of legacy carriers. Thus, PIT's Concourse E was demolished as part of The Transformed PIT, per their website, shifting to accommodate more frequent Airbus A320 and 737 aircraft from carriers such as Frontier Airlines and Allegiant Air. Northwest Arkansas National Airport An Arkansas economic powerhouse attracts larger aircraft Historically a regional aircraft-only operation, Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA) is no stranger to larger equipment. With a significant increase in service from Allegiant, XNA is now augmented with A320 and 737 service from each of the big three of United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines. XNA, through its various airline partners, offers mainline service to hubs such as Denver International Airport (DEN), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) respectively. This shift in traffic is supported by a new terminal construction project, as outlined on the XNA website. Construction is currently in progress on the new addition, while the design development only began in 2025. While Envoy Air is still the market leader for XNA at nearly 30 percent, the increase in passenger demand has led to mainline and LCC organizations alike to ramp up their Northwest Arkansas schedules; American's mainline services account for 12.1 percent of the market share on its own, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Allegiant recently cracked the top five in XNA's market share at 10 percent. Allegiant operates an entire mainline fleet of A320 and 737 family jets, avoiding regional jets altogether. This signals to XNA a need airside for more spacious gates. Wilmington International Airport The coastal Carolina port city is experiencing unprecedented growth in its aviation sector Credit: Joseph D Washburn | Shutterstock Wilmington International Airport (ILM) historically served mainly the regional subsidiaries of US legacy carriers such as Piedmont Airlines and Delta. However, this booming coastal community is experiencing increasing commercial aviation demand due to consistent population growth, as reported by the US Census Bureau. ILM reports a record 907,753 enplanements in 2025, according to its website. The last several years have brought airlines such as Sun Country Airlines, Avelo Airlines, and JetBluein addition to mainline Delta service to Atlanta and American's service to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), sometimes onboard an Airbus A321. Beginning in 2018, the airport began a $69 million terminal expansion project that will create additional gate space and terminal square footage. Local news agency WECT reported in August that the original 2018 project has been expanded to include an extended departures/arrivals curb, a commercial drop-off curb, a pedestrian tunnel, and additional parking facilities, accommodating increasing demand and the growing size of its regular airline equipment. Charlotte Douglas International Airport A Southeastern regional hub arguably has the most noticeable impact Credit: Ethan Qualle Few major US airports depended on regional jets as much as Charlotte during the US Airways era. Hundreds of daily departures flowed through concourses designed to handle large volumes of short-haul regional traffic, making CLT one of the country's busiest connecting airports for smaller aircraft. That operating model is gradually changing. American has increasingly upgauged many routes from 50-seat regional jets to larger regional aircraft like the Embraer E170 and mainline Airbus and Boeing jets. In response, Charlotte has invested heavily in concourse expansions and gate projects that support higher-capacity aircraft and growing passenger volumes, as a part of the CLT Master Plan 2050, per its website. The airport's recent and ongoing gate expansion efforts, including projects on Concourse A and other terminal facilities, illustrate how former regional-jet strongholds are adapting for a future centered on larger aircraft. Rather than simply adding gates, Charlotte is creating infrastructure better suited to today's fleet mix and the continued shift toward higher-capacity operations. Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport A small corner of the Twin Cities airport follows the trend, despite no LCC threat Credit: Ethan Qualle In a collaboration between The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) and Delta, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) has recently completed a monumental Terminal 1 modernization project. The renovation of six of the seven concourses in the Charles Lindbergh Terminal 1 from 2023-2025, according to the MAC. Concourse E at MSP was deliberately excluded; it is home to several airlines including American, Air Canada, formerly Continental Airlines and Spirit Airlines. Concourse A and B famously serve regional traffic, primarily under Delta Connection's regional subsidiaries of Endeavor Air and Skywest. Formerly frequented by Saab 340 and Bombardier CRJ-200regional jets, these gates are now commonly used by slightly larger Embraer E175s and Bombardier CRJ-900s. The Star Tribune has reported on additional planned improvements for MSP. Concourse A is slated to feature somewhat of a reduction of its 14 gates, lowering the total number to accommodate a smaller number of larger aircraft than its current CRJ-900 mainstay. Concourse B is slated for complete demolition by 2040 to support this vision as well. Although a rise in LCC traffic is not of immediate concern for this section of the airport, a notable exception is Denver Air Connection, which occasionally parks its Dornier 328s at the B gates. LCCs such as Frontier and Allegiant are localized to Terminal 1's Concourse E or Terminal 2. Washington Dulles International Airport One of the strongest examples of this phenomenon is underway, courtesy of United Credit: GZ Productions | Shutterstock For years, many regional passengers at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) boarded from the airport's outdoor A-gate facilities, as outlined by IAD's official website. Originally set up to support high volumes of regional jet operations, the airport is now moving in the opposite direction, replacing that infrastructure with modern concourse facilities designed for higher passenger volumes and a wider range of aircraft. A key component of Dulles' Global Gateway program is redeveloping the eastern portion of Concourse A, where the outdoor regional boarding positions are being converted into enclosed, international-capable gates. The airport says these upgrades will provide more modern facilities while supporting growing international and domestic demand. The planned Tier-2 Concourse will replace the existing regional facility with a 14-gate structure that can accommodate a broader range of aircraft, including larger narrowbodies and international services. Dulles mirrors MSP in that the broader trend toward more mainline aircraft traffic is not exclusive to LCC carriers filling in available market share; legacy airlines are affected all the same. Bemidji Regional Airport A tiny operation in Northern Minnesota serves as a microcosm for this shift Credit: Ethan Qualle Bemidji Regional Airport (BJI) does not currently have any capacity improvement plans in place, nor does it have the staggering demand to do so. Rather, the airport underwent a previous renovation and gate expansion that has stood the test of time and was one of the earliest examples of an airport development project prioritizing larger aircraft. Completed in 2012, BJI's passenger facilities doubled in size, according to its website. The airport's first jet bridge, manufactured by ThyssenKrupp, was installed to handle multiple flights at once. The gate was rated to accommodate aircraft sizes up to and including Boeing 737-900 and A320 jets comfortably and efficiently. The project reaped benefits for the community with Sun Country Airlines launching periodic charter service to Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport (IFP) on a 737. Aside from that, SkyWest operates a twice-daily service to MSP under the Delta Connection Brand. Formerly served by Northwest Airlines' Northwest Airlink prior to its merger with Delta, the service has evolved from the 34-seat Saab 340 to now being operated by a 69-seat Bombardier CRJ700.